Magill: Rivalry ripe with great memories

Posted: Thursday, October 26, 2006

Dan

Magill

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Heisman trophy winner Steve Spurrier didn't do well against Georgia as a player (lost two of three games), but he certainly excelled as Florida's coach (going 11-1). And, his teams also were SEC champions six times and won the national title in 1996.

That's clearly the best won-loss coaching record in the Georgia-Florida series for anyone who has been coach more than three seasons.

In the long Georgia-Florida series (first game was in 1904) only two other Gators coaches have winning records against the Bulldogs: Bob Woodruff 6-4 (1950-59) and Ray Graves 6-3-1 (1960-69).

Vince Dooley leads the Georgia coaches with a 17-7-1 mark in 25 years (1964-88). Harry Mehre was 6-3-1 in 10 seasons (1928-37), and Wallace Butts was 12-9-0 in 21 games (1939-60).

Despite winning only twice in the past 16 games, Georgia leads the series 46-36-2.

The most points ever recorded by Florida were back-to-back wallopings under Spurrier in 1994 (54-14) and 1995 (52-17).

Georgia tops those lickings with a 56-0 triumph by Herman Stegeman's first team in 1920 and Wallace Butts' 1942 SEC and Rose Bowl champions, who annihilated the Gators 75-0.

The game has been played at six different sites, the first in 1904 at Macon. The second game was in Jacksonville in 1915, also in Jacksonville in 1927 and 1929, and annually there since then except 1994 in Gainesville, Fla., and '95 in Athens. They have played 74 times in Jacksonville.

Savannah was host in 1928 and 1930. Athens has been host five times, and the game has been played twice in Gainesville.

I have seen all the games the past 70 years, except the World War II contests in 1944 and 1945, when I was in the Marines.

Naturally, those I liked best were epic Bulldog victories.

 Like the 75-0 victory in 1942, when senior Frank Sinkwich and sophomore Charley Trippi each accounted for four touchdowns. Sinkwich rushed for two and passed for two. Trippi scored on two long runs, scored on an interception and passed for a score.

Actually, it was a freak score. Florida had a good team, having beaten a strong Auburn team, which later upset Georgia. But the Bulldogs were sky-high, having been ranked No. 1 in the nation earlier that week for the first time since 1927.

He directed a 43-yard drive on Georgia's first possession, and a few plays later he anticipated a Florida quick-kick and ran it back 25 yards to score. Later, he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Towns. And, midway the third quarter, with Florida at Georgia's 7-yard line, he intercepted a pass at the goalline and ran it back 100 yards.

 Like 1964, Vince Dooley's first year, when Florida had a powerful team that Bear Bryant had rated the strongest any of his teams had ever faced.

Late in the game with the score tied 7-7, Georgia was at Florida's 5-yard line and trying a short field goal. The snap to holder Barry Wilson was fumbled, but kicker Bobby Etter scooped it up, ran to his left, faking a pass. The Florida player came up, but Wilson blocked him at the goalline and Etter dove over both of them for the winning score.

 Like two years later in the game that decided the SEC race. It was a bitter pill for Spurrier, who looked like a Heisman winner as he led the Gators 86 yards to score after the opening kickoff.

But Georgia's great defense, led by All-American tackles George Patton and big Bill Stanfill, sacked Spurrier several times and Georgia clinched the 27-10 upset with a 39-yard interception for a touchdown by safety Lynn Hughes.

 Like Jake Scott's incredible 56-yard punt return in a blinding rainstorm that ignited a 51-0 blowout in 1968. Most punt returners would have signaled for a fair catch or let the ball hit. Not Scott. He surprised everybody by handling the ball on the dead run.

 Like the spectacular back-to-back wins in 1975 and 1976 en route to the Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl.

In '75, Florida led 7-3 with three minutes left when Georgia executed the end-around to perfection. It had been set up by Richard Appleby making several gains earlier with flanker Gene Washington blocking. But this time, Washington faked the block on the Gators' cornerback and sped past him into an open field. Appleby then hurled a strike for an 80-yard touchdown.

And, the next year quarterback Ray Goff played the best game of his career. Florida led 27-13 at halftime, but Goff was unstoppable in the second half. He was 5-for-5, two for scores, and had a phenomenal 194 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Belue threw three touchdown passes as a sophomore in 1979, and the next year he threw that unforgettable 93-yard winning pass to Lindsey Scott with only 1:35 left. In 1981, he tossed two touchdown passes to Herschel Walker as Georgia won 26-21.

Walker proved to be Florida's most devastating foe.

As a freshman in 1980, he rushed for 238 yards, including a 72-yard jaunt on the first possession.

As a sophomore, he ran for four touchdowns and rushed for 191 yards.

And in his final year, as a junior, he rushed for 219 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 44-0 victory.

In 1985, Florida was No. 1, but freshman backs Keith Henderson and Tim Worley ran for 145 and 125 yards, respectively, in a 24-3 upset.